Railway-signal



N. L. HARKNESS. RAILWAY SIGNAL. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6, 192m.

Patented Nov. 15, 1921.

F u l h UI I L ill lifl li RAILWAY-SIGNAL.

eavers.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 15,1921.

Application filed June 6, 1921. Serial No. 475,505.

T 0 all 10 7L0???) it may concern Be it known that I, llnwron L. l-liiunnnss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Parsons, in the county of Labette and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Railway-Signal, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway signal devices of the class wherein a trip device on an approaching train is utilized to set a warning signal at road crossing at a suiticient distance in advance oi the train to notify the occupants of an approaching vehicle that a train is coming.

Another object of the invention is to simplify the construction and reduce the chances for disarrangement oi the parts of the device.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described and then specifically pointed'out in the claim, and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention- Y Figure 1 is a side elevation 01' a section of a railway track and a portion of a conventional locomotive with the improvement applied.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1. V

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the combined stop and holding devices tor the mechanism which is actuated by the moving train.

The improved device is designed to be located at highway crossings of railway lines, and comprises a signal setting portion at the crossing and a tripping portion adapted to actuate the signal setting devices and operative by an approaching train and located at a suilicient distance from the crossing to give the occupants of an approaching vehicle ample warning of the approaching train.

In the drawings the railway rails are represented at 10, the ties at 11, and the forward portion of a conventional locomotive at 12 and the pilot 13. Attached to the pilot 13 and extending therefrom is a trip bar 1 1.

Thetripping portion of the improved apparatus includes a bell crank lever having a relatively long arm 15 and a relatively short arm 16, the longer arm 15 standing normally in a vertical position and the arm 16 substantiallyin a horizontal position, as shown.

The crank lever 15 16 is pivoted at its elbow by a' pin 18 attached for instance to. the end or" one of the ties 11.

The longer arm 15 of the trip lever eX-' tends into the path 01 the trip bar 1 1 so that as the locomotive moves forward the longer arm 15 and the shorter arm 16 will be moved into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

Attached to one of the ties 11, adjacent the lever 15-16 is a combined guide and holding device for the longer arm 15 of the lever, consisting of atwo part standard comprising a vertical portion 17 and horizontal portions 19-20, the latter united at their free ends as shown at 21.

The vertical portion 15 of the trip lever is received between the portions 19-20 of the guide member when in upri 'ht position as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, the portions 1920 converging slightly toward the terminal 21 so that the portiong15 is frictionally held with suilicient force to prevent accidental or. premature displacement.

T he arm 15 operates between the members 19 and 20, and the latter will be sufficiently spaced to permit the free movement of the trip lever, except at the parts adjacent the terminal 21, as above noted.

The portion of the apparatus which is located at the road crossing comprises a support 22 attached to one of the ties 11. Mounted to swing by a pivot 23 in the support 22 is relatively long rod 24 having a sign board 25 at its free end, the latter provided with warning characters, such as the word stop or other device.

The rod.2% is formed with a relatively short branch 26 to which a section of pull cable 27 is coupled and leading thence through suitable guide sheaves 28.'

The shorter arm 16 is likewise provided with a section of pull cable 29 leading thence over guide sheaves 30. The cable sections are connected by pull rod 31, as shown.

The signal support lever 2-1 is disposed normally in horizontal position with the sign board 25 located in a suitable pit 82 so that when no train is approaching the sign board is concealed from view.

()ne of the combined guide and holding devices 17, 19, 20, 21 is located in position to receive and guide the sign carrying rod into its upper position as shown by dotted and the signaling lines in Fig. 1, and hold it frictionally to prevent accidental displacement.

The signal devices 24 and 26 with the sign board 25 will be so located that it will be in plain sight from an approaching vehicle, and the trip device will be located at a suflicient distance from the crossing to give ample time for the occupants of the approaching vehicle to avoid collision.

The distance between the tripping devices devices will vary according to the conditions of the immediate surroundings of the crossing. WVhere the track at each side of the crossing is obscured by high banks or other obstructions, the connecting element 31 will preferably be longer than where the approach is unobscured, but

shouldnot be less than five hundred feet under any circumstances.

As the tram passes over the roadway the trip arm 14 engages the rod 24 which has position shown by been elevated vinto the dotted lines in Fig. 1, and returns it to horizontal position against the resistance of the pinch produced by the converging portions 19-20 with the sign board 25 again concealed in the pit 32. This action also returns the arm 15 to vertical position by the reverse pull on the rod 31 and cables 27 and 29. Y

The apparatus is thus set for thenexttrain.

YVhen used in connection with single track lines, a set of the apparatus will be employed automatically reat each side of the roadway and at the opposite sides of the track. When used in connection with a double track line, one set of the apparatus will be employed for each track, as will be obvious.

The improved device is simple in construction, can be inexpensively manufactured and comprising few parts, and being direct acting, is not liable to get out of order under the severe strain to whic the parts are subjected when in use.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosedin the drawings and set forth in the specifications, but it will be understoodv that any modifications within the scope of the claim may be made in the construction without departing from the principle of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Vhat is claimed is In a railway signal apparatus, a trip arm movably supported and adapted to be actuated by a moving train, a signal carrying arm initially in horizontal position, coupling means between said trip arm and signal conveying arm, and a combined guide and holding device coacting with the signal carrying member and including converging portions with which the signal carrying arm frictionally engages when in one position;

In witness whereof, I aflix my signature hereto- 7 I NEWTON L. HARKNESS. 

